It’s a dream of many parents that their
children will grow up to love and excel in playing music. But how
exactly do you raise musical children? What can you do to nurture their
inner musicality from a young age, beyond the standard approach of
enrolling them in instrument lessons and just hoping it works out?

Let’s Play Music
has long been one of the leaders in this area, with over 300 teachers
offering in-person music classes for children across the United States
and Canada. Let’s Play Music founder, Shelle Soelberg, previously joined
us here on the site, writing about Solfeggio and Ear Training
and we were delighted recently to have the opportunity to catch up with
team member Gina Weibel and hear the latest about this innovative and
effective childrens music program…

Welcome to EasyEarTraining.com Gina, and thanks for joining us today.Q: If you had to explain Let’s Play Music in a tweet-sized sentence, what would it be?

Let’s Play Music is a course emphasizing total musicianship through
singing, piano, classical music, note reading, and ear training. All
taught through play!

Q: Let’s Play Music has been running for
nearly twenty years now. Over that time, what’s changed the most about
the program and what has stayed the same?

We
have always put emphasis on providing an excellent research-based
program with superb materials and highly trained teachers, and that
hasn’t changed. We still train teachers annually in person and have
ongoing requirements for them to maintain licensing and certification.
It’s satisfying to know that anywhere you attend a Let’s Play Music
class, you’ll consistently know what to expect. If your family moves
1,000 miles in the middle of the semester, you can find a new teacher
and join the class without a hiccup.

There are a few curriculum topics today that weren’t present in the
beginning. For example, we always taught students how to read, play, and
write rhythms, but we eventually realized it’s advantageous for
graduates to use the same terminology that mainstream musicians use. So,
since 2011 we’ve been teaching our third-year students how to use the
common counting patterns that they’ll be expected to know (1-ee-and-a,
2-ee-and-a). They had already internalized the concepts and could
perform the rhythms, but we just wanted to make sure they could
transition to any teacher. These seven-year-old graduates can talk to
you about rhythms, they can talk about harmonizing with I, IV, and V chords, they know the terminology the rest of the world is using.We also rearranged a couple of ear-training tasks. In first year we
play games with the I, IV and V chords in root position, block and
broken. We don’t explain and label chord inversions until the third
year, but realized students would benefit from hearing those before
labeling them. So now we practice singing arpeggios of chord inversions
as early as year one. By the time they get to year three, the experience
is like “of course I can hear what’s going on – I’ve been singing the different inversions for years.”
It’s better. We know the end goals, so we’re playing games in year one
and two that eventually make teaching complex things really easy.When we add new concepts, new singable songs are composed and new
games are crafted. So the curriculum today has a handful of songs and
games that didn’t exist in the beginning. Of course, artwork for
materials and online support continue to improve. We actually have some
new artwork and play-along CDs coming out Spring of 2016!

Q: What’s the one thing you feel most
sets Let’s Play Music apart from other children’s music education
programs? If a parent wants their child to learn music but doesn’t have a
musical background themselves, what would you say to help them know if
LPM is the right choice for them?

I think I better list two things: one for parents who compare LPM to
preschool classes, and one for parents who compare LPM to traditional
piano lessons.There definitely are many preschool music programs to choose from.
Let’s Play Music was created for a child who is just old enough to move
beyond the experiential music programs. Those programs help youngsters
experience different types of music, find the beat in music, and really
start to enjoy music as something to play with. That’s important.But what we offer is the specific intention of piano preparation in
the first year. We read from the staff and play tone bells as a
precursor to the keyboard. We introduce the primary chords as the
foundation for all music and practice group accompaniment on the
autoharp.Age 4 is the minimum to begin Let’s Play Music. Younger students
aren’t developmentally ready to do weekly homework or be accountable to
accompany a group with an instrument, whereas four and five year-olds
can rise to challenges beyond preschool music classes.To the second point, parents have traditional piano, violin, and
voice lessons to consider. Let’s Play Music does use voice and piano as
tools for our class, but unlike most traditional programs, we focus on
complete musicianship rather than just instrument skills. Our classes
involve classical music learning, ear training, theory, and composition
in addition to reading and performance skills.That means students who graduate from Let’s Play Music should be
prepared to excel as a musician with whatever instrument they pursue
next with a private teacher. Some parents register for our classes
specifically because they took years of traditional piano lessons and
didn’t love it. Most of them can play but never understood music. How
did the composer come up with this accompaniment? How can I change it?
How can I make up my own music?Parents who have no musical background LOVE Let’s Play Music because
they get a two-for-one deal. They sign their child up for class and they
get to learn everything, too. We require parents to attend every other
class in the first year, so they’ll learn what their child learns, bond
with their child, and be prepared to nurture music practice at home. The
most common feedback from non-musical parents is, “I finally understand music theory! Thank you for helping me hear it, use it, and learn it along with my child.” I guess that is a third way we are fundamentally different: we involve the parents in class.

Q: For a child who is already taking
one-on-one instrument lessons with a teacher, what could joining an LPM
class add to their musical life?

Students must be age 4 or 5 to start Let’s Play Music, so we try to
catch them before they start private lessons. This is a three-year
foundational course that sets them up for success with their eventual
private teacher. Research shows that children at this age learn best in a
group class with playful and fun instruction, an environment you don’t
get at a private lesson. We really do get up and dance, pass balls to
each other, and skip around the room. It’s very active because that’s
what helps the students learn.Private instructors vary widely, but tend to focus on reading and
performing music with the instrument of choice. We value performing as a
part of complete musicianship. It’s very possible to take years of
private lessons and not feel competent about making your own music. I
tell parents that private lessons can wait – your child will be most
successful if you help them get this great foundation first. And then
you can take a lifetime of private lessons and really excel.

Q: What does “success” look like for an
LPM student when they reach graduation? Could you share a specific story
from your own studio?

Three years in this program is a really short time! I’m always
surprised when it’s graduation time. I define success when students
graduate having developed an attitude about music that launches them to
success over the next few decades of hard work to come.

”I define success when students graduate having
developed an attitude about music that launches them to success over the
next few decades of hard work to come.”

Success is when graduates have learned how to practice, they have
internal motivation to play their instrument, they feel confident that
they can take steps to learn a new piece of music, and they think of
themselves as talented musicians.

Our students have varying levels of piano ability depending upon
their age and how much home practice time was invested. They have
beginning piano skills such as reading the staff, playing scales and
cadences, and sightreading melodies. In addition, they have developed
skill in accompanying themselves and others, transposing, improvisation
and composition. But beyond these piano skills, since Let’s Play Music
develops the complete musician, we see success in the student that can:

sing in tune

sing in harmony

sing middle C on command

find other pitches in the scale in relation to a given pitch, and

recognize chords, intervals and major/minor tonalities by ear

These skills are the factors that form a complete musician, and this is the measure of success for us.

In the long run, who’s going to remember that you could play three
variations of “Twinkle, Twinkle”? By the time the LPM student is an
adult, the measure of success will be the student’s musicianship and
drive that carried him through life. Those are harder to teach and
measure than a list of milestones, but that’s what I value the most.

I’ve had students go on to perform in musical theater, continue in
piano study, and pursue all variety of band instruments. The students
I’m closest to are my own children, of course. When my son started
trombone lessons at age ten, his teacher was amazed with his
well-trained ear; it allowed him to hear and play exactly correct
pitches with subtle nuance that experienced players seek. His progress
with his instrument continues to be impressive. I expect music teachers
of all varieties get LPM students and declare “this kid is just musically talented” because they’ve got that foundation.

So, I mentioned that four years is the minimum age to begin Let’s
Play Music, but we always recognized that younger children benefit from
music exposure. For years we sent families with toddlers away to other
preschool music classes and said, “come back to us when you’re four.”

About five years ago, we decided to make sure there was a quality
preschool music class available for pre-LPM families, by offering it
ourselves. Most Sound Beginnings teachers are also LPM teachers. We
designed the program for 2-4 year old children with a parent, but
younger siblings can come, too. It’s very much a family program.

Because we know what the children will be learning in LPM, we
tailored SB to include similar musical elements at an easier level. We
introduce solfege and ear training, reading very simple music notation,
and finding patterns in classical music. Instead of homework
assignments, we have optional home activities. SB is not required before
enrolling in LPM, but those kids get a bit of a head start.While we’re playing with different types of music, we include
preschool skills. If we want a song that helps them sing on pitch and
recognize a certain musical pattern, why not write one that also has
lyrics to teach about colors, addition, months of the year, or the
planets? So our games teach music skills and preschool facts at the same
time. Every song is carefully chosen.

Q: Do you feel that the modern age of
electronic devices and internet learning has helped or hindered music
education? Has it impacted the way you do things at LPM?

I
think the internet is an amazing educational tool. When I’m looking for
sheet music or trying to learn a specific skill, the internet is my
first resource. I take my ipad loaded with music to ukulele play-alongs.
I have apps on my phone so I can do some ear training whenever I have a
free five minutes. I get on the Let’s Play Music teachers Facebook
group to get advice for running the studio or helping a specific
student. It’s amazing to have resources so available!

There are two sides to every coin, though. Electronic devices
indirectly hinder learning when the allure of ever-present entertainment
outweighs the motivation to practice! We occasionally implement
screen-free week at my house, and suddenly everyone wants a turn at the
piano! Electronics can be distracting.

At LPM, we still train teachers and teach classes face-to-face. We
purposefully cultivate relationships because research shows that
children learn best when a caring adult is involved. A caring teacher
and caregiver are far better instructors than a screen. We are
experimenting with a digital play-along tool for students to use at home
with their piano as a supplement to “human” teaching, but we assert
that this is merely a supplement. Without the human touch, learning is
stunted. We’re also looking at online ear-training games for use at
home. We’re open to using resources that fit with our curriculum.

Q: No doubt the future holds more
exciting plans and ongoing success for Let’s Play Music! What are the
LPM team most excited about right now?

Every year we reach more cities and more children, which is exciting.
I attribute much of the success to the enthusiastic teachers. Many say
they have become better musicians from teaching the classes, and all say
“I wish I had learned it this way when I was a kid!”

We are super excited about Spirit Week, March 14-19, 2016 when students, parents, and teachers share their love for LPM on our Facebook page.
We give out lots of prizes and revel in photos and videos of students
making music. They are all part of our big, musical family!

And as I mentioned earlier, we are excited about our 2016 revisions.
For five years we have been collecting feedback from parents and
teachers to find out how we can improve each family’s Let’s Play Music
experience. We pursue quality and we utilize the most current
methodologies in our curriculum. We are releasing new songs and new
designs so our curriculum continues to be cutting edge.

Terrific! Thanks again, Gina, for joining us here on EasyEarTraining.com and sharing more about this wonderful music program.

Here at Easy Ear Training we’ve long been
admirers of the Let’s Play Music approach and we’re excited to see their
new developments in 2016 and beyond. Learn more about LPM on their
website letsplaymusicsite.com where you can find a teacher in your local area. Be sure to also follow their blog and Facebook page for the latest news and resources.

If you liked this interview and you're ready to jump in, find a Let's Play Music teacher near you now!